


friend like me

by mildlydiscouraging



Series: in a lot of good ways [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: 2009, Disney Movies, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Long-Distance Friendship, Love Confessions, M/M, Skype
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-14 20:51:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2202666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mildlydiscouraging/pseuds/mildlydiscouraging
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Internet friends were possibly the worst and best thing ever. Physical distance sucked, but it's still better than the emotional distance you get from your own family, and wow, what a depressing thought that was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	friend like me

**Author's Note:**

> so a couple things first
> 
> 1) i wrote this about five minutes after basically the first part of this happened to me, so sorry if it seems a little odd / spacey, that's how it felt  
> 2) i gave them my awful texting habits  
> 3) i apparently can only write angst if it ends with watching disney movies, and  
> 4) this is the second ever thing i've finished writing and therefore probably sucks
> 
> enjoy!

“Don’t come back downstairs tonight!”

“Won’t be a problem!”

“Good!”

Dan stormed up the stairs as best he can as his shoes slid on the carpet. Tears already aggressively threatening to spill from his eyes, he glared harder as he pulled his boots off and threw them at the hallway wall.

He flung open the door to his room and was somehow subconsciously careful enough to move his laptop before he threw himself face first onto the mattress.

In the relative safety and quiet of his room, he finally allowed himself to cry, tears silently splashing into ugly blotches on his sheets. His mother’s whispers echoed painfully in his ears. “Your dad’s under a lot of stress right now, okay? We can’t go tonight, I have to help him finish this one thing”.

Looming deadlines were a fine excuse for tonight, but what about every other time he’s snapped or shouted or hurt any of them with his stupid, sarcastic tone? Sure, Dan himself could be accused of being a bit too sarcastic here and there, but at least he knew when to fucking stop. Regardless of how many people were upset by what he said, his dad just never really knew when to give it up and never really has learned.

He could hear the one-sided conversation of the “important call, you wouldn’t understand”, faded as it traveled all the way up the stairs and mingled with the sounds of his mother typing something at the computer in the family room.

That was always the worst part: everyone’s ability to revert back to normal behaviour immediately. You can have a hideous shouting match (well, match implies back and forth, it was more of a hideous being shouted _at_ ) and run off crying and not a single person will acknowledge it in any way.

The sounds of his mother stacking the dishes and his brother wandering around in the room next door fused into a horrid symphony, the sounds of his own ragged breathing and his father happily on the phone became a counter melody that clashed and banged around in his ears as the tears dried sticky on his face.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Dan tried to block out the taunting sounds of normalcy and buried his head in his pillow until the noises stop.

* * *

In the dim light of his bedroom only a few hours later, Dan was suddenly accosted by the harsh light of his phone screen signalling that he had a new text. Rubbing his raw eyelids with the back of his hand, he reached across to his desk and unlocked the screen.

> <Phil :DD, 9:31pm> so did u get that book u wanted??

He wiped the fingers of his right hand, damp with tears, on the sheets in front of him as he texted back.

> <dan :P, 9:32pm> nope, apparently mum can blow it off until too l8 + dadll shout @ me like its my fault so

The reply was almost instantaneous as Dan settled back in his bed and pulled the blankets tight around himself.

> <Phil :DD, 9:32pm> oh no :((( u okay?

Dan sighed and closed his eyes against the onslaught of of artificial light that assaulted his face.

> <dan :P, 9:34pm> yea im fine, shouldve known hed b “‘“stressed”’”, usually is.
> 
> <Phil :DD, 9:35pm> do u wanna talk about it? i can get on skype if u want
> 
> <dan :P, 9:36pm> not in the best condition 2 skype rn tbh
> 
> <dan :P, 9:36pm> \+ everyones going to bed so

The sounds around him had ceased almost as startlingly as they had begun, leaving only the sounds of his fingers tapping the phone screen and the world’s most annoying crickets outside, occasionally punctuated by a coughing from the living room where his father was still “working”.

> <Phil :DD, 9:37pm> oh okay. but what happened?
> 
> <dan :P, 9:38pm> mum was gonna take me 2 get the book bc she needed smth too
> 
> <dan :P, 9:38pm> being mum, she put it off as long as possible until it was “2 late to go 2 the shops dan”
> 
> <dan :P, 9:38pm> and then dad shouted bc he was “really stressed” + “didnt need this rn”
> 
> <dan :P, 9:39pm> so now im in my room talking 2 u

Dan could hear his own breathing as he waited for a reply from both the only person who seemed to care and the only person who was too far away to really be able to do anything.

Locking the screen and staring at the ceiling in the dark, he sighed. Internet friends were possibly the worst and best thing ever. Physical distance sucked, but it's still better than the emotional distance you get from your own family, and wow, what a depressing thought that was.

The notification bubble brought him back to the present as he swiped to see Phil’s reply.

> <Phil :DD, 9:41pm> gosh that really sucks, i wish i could help. hey, do u still have that big bag of candy i sent u a couple weeks ago?

After rummaging around under his bed for a bit, Dan replied that yes he had it, but there may already be a fair bit of it gone.

> <Phil :DD, 9:44pm> why am i not surprised :P here’s what u should do though
> 
> <Phil :DD, 9:45pm> pull up aladdin on ur laptop (and don’t even argue, i know u have it) and i’ll have in on my tv...
> 
> <Phil :DD, 9:46pm> and u call me and we can watch it together!!! :D and i won’t even judge u for the gross sounds u’ll make eating ur candy ;P
> 
> <dan :P, 8:47pm> ur mum makes gross sounds

Dan smiled as he booted up his laptop and untangled his headphones before dialling his best friend’s number.

“Okay,” Phil said in lieu of a greeting, “so the key part of this is we have to make sure to start the movie at the same time. Ready?”

Dan chuckled quietly as he pulled up the movie and settled in for a few hours of unadulterated fun and ridiculous musical numbers, Robin Williams in one ear and Phil in the other.

* * *

As the movie was drawing to a close and Jasmine and Aladdin were about to be reunited, Phil was running commentary and Dan was trying not to nod off, the events of earlier that evening having drained him of all energy.

“I just think its really sweet,” Phil babbled, “how they only met because Jasmine was courageous enough to slip past her guards and if it wasn’t for her, they probably never  would’ve really known the other existed really.”

Dan hummed in agreement, distracted by how fluffy his pillows were and how had he never noticed that before?

“You’re falling asleep, aren’t you? Have you even heard anything I’ve been saying?” Phil jokingly accused.

“Nuh uh,” Dan sat up and picked the phone up from where it was sliding off his shoulder. “You were saying how Disney makes you sappy and sound like a little kid”.

At Phil’s offended squawk, Dan just laughed, albeit tiredly. He's mostly back asleep by the time Aladdin has set Genie free when he heard something odd over the phone.

“Phil...?” He asked sleepily. “Are you... crying?” All he heard is a sniffle in reply. “Phil...” He said again, waking up slightly.

“No no, I’m fine,” Phil sniffled, “it’s just, Genie and Aladdin were such good friends and Aladdin was willing to give up being with the girl of his dreams just so Genie could be free and I’m really glad you’re my friend Dan because I know I’d do that for you and I’m pretty sure you’d do the same for me”.

Through the phone Dan could hear Phil breathe in somewhat shakily.

“I’m okay,” he said, “I’m just really tired and I wish I could be there for you right now.”

Dan’s computer went into sleep mode as he turned over on his side and wrapped himself up more in his blankets.

“M’kay Phil,” he mumbled, “g’night, love you”.

And the last thing he heard before falling asleep is Phil whispering back, “I love you too, Dan,” as the phone falls slack in his hand and his breathing evens out, syncing with the one miles away over the line.

**Author's Note:**

> also if phil seems like just a giant adorable child, that's because i am so enamored with him that's all i can write him as any more. sorry.
> 
> if you think this didn't suck somehow, and maybe would even like to see more from me, please for the love of god let me know. i'm still working on trying to get their voices right, so i'd love some feedback i guess?
> 
> i'm also on tumblr at [dweebhowell](http://dweebhowell.tumblr.com)


End file.
